Packaging and method and means for forming the same



Aug. 12, 1947. ca. R. BROWNER 2,425,301

PACKAGING AND METHOD AND MEANS FOR FORMING THE SAME I Filed Oct. 19, 1942 V 1 ESWW Egg W Patented Aug. 12, 19 47 PACKAGING AND METHOD AND MEANS FOR FORMING THE SAME George R. Browner, Lynchburg, Va., assignor to The Mead Corporation, Chillicothe, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application October 19, 1942, Serial No. 462,615

This invention relates to an improved wrapping for packages or bales of compressible and expansible material, such as cloth and th like.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide such a bale in which the covering or enclosing wrapping comprises a major body portion of paper board material and. which is capable of withstandin the rough treatment and adverse conditions encountered in shipping and handling.

Another object is to provide such a bale which possesses the strength and toughness necessary to withstand the severe shocks encountered when the compressed, partly completed bale is dumped from the press.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved wrapper for such a bale which comprises a major body portion made up of paper board and with strips secured thereto and which may be satisfactorily substituted for wrappers of materials heretofore commonly used, such as burlap which is now both clear and scarce. Another object of the invention i to provide for an improved wrapper of the character described which requires a minimum of tim in the baling press and which permits of ready completion of the bale-or package after it is removed from the press.

Another object of the invention is to provide the method of baling compressible and expansible materials such as textiles, :bolts of cloth, and the like, using such wrapping and which is performed partly within the baling press and completed after the compressed material is removed from the pressure zone and which is simple and effective and cheap in practice.

Other objects and advantages will !be more fully understood from the description set out below and from the drawings and appended claims.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and in which like characters of reference are applied to the various views thereof- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bale or package of cloth or other similar material completely pped in the wrapper;

Fig. 2 is a view of on -of the wrapper units which are used for the bale;

Fig. 3 is a view showing a baling press some what diagrammatically and with the cloth or other material to be baled in the baling press with two of the wrapper units in place ready to be folded and tied;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the bale in the baling press With the wrapper folded and ties in place;

13 Claims. (01. 100-14) Fig. 5 shows the bale after it has been removed from the press for the sewing on of the end coverings, and with one end covering afi'ixed in place; and

Fig. 6 shows the bale, with one end covering in place, being turned over end for end to permit of affixing the other end covering.

In preparing large packages or bales of cotton, wool, cloth, textiles and other expansi-ble materials, it has been the usual practic heretofore to employ strips of burlap or other coarsely woven fabrics to cover the bales when they are compressed, the bales being held in a compressed state by means of a plurality of lbal ties passed around the bale and over the fabric cover. This method of packaging, though heretofore almost universally used, has been found to have various objectionsfor example, it is found that if merely a covering of burlap is used dirt, oil, stencil ink, and other foreign matter can readily penetrate the coarse weave fabric cover with consequent injury to a portion of the packaged material; and ifa layer of paper is put inside the burlap to lessen such penetration of dirt the result is not dependable as the paper is readily torn during the baling operations or carelessly applied or displaced so as to leave cracks and open spaces which are devoid of any paper protection. Also, this complicates the baling operation. Another objection, when :burlap is used to bale bolts of cloth, is that the pressure of the steel bands tends to indent and fold the top and bottom bolts and compress them so much that in the later finishing and dyeing operations, these compressed zones vary in color and quality.

A further present objectionable condition is that burlap and other such commonly used fab rics are no longer readily obtainable for such wrappers, while more expensive materials are not economically practicable for such uses. The present invention provides a method of baling textiles, bolts of cloth and the like into bales of substantially the same size as heretofore used, in the presses heretofore used, through the use ofwrapper units composed in major part of paper board and which permits of satisfactorily I carrying out substantially the same steps in the advertising matter thereonand which also provides for satisfactorily baling such materials at a cost approximately the same as the cost of burlap baling under normal conditions.

In order to accomplish this, and to provide that greater protection may be given the packaged material and an improved bale produced, my invention employs a wrapper unit comprising a central and major portion of substantially strong paper board to which are secured at the two edges corresponding to the ends of the bale strips of a suitable fabric, such as osnaburg or burlap, to which end covers of such fabric may be readily and quickly affixed to cover the ends of the bale. The central paper board portion of the wrapping unit is of such dimensions that when applied it stops short of each of the ends of the bale and allows a portion of the baled material to protrude at each end. The protruding material should extend sufliciently beyond the extent of the paper board that when the baled material is dropped on end, as when the partly completed bale is dumped from the press onto the floor, the protruding material will absorb the shock resulting from the bale being dropped and thus will protect the paper board portion from the disruptive forces so that it will be unimpaired.

A suitable material to be used as the paper board portion of the wrapping unit is one, made by laminating a plurality of layers of paper board to provide a paper board which is comparatively strong and rigid. Very satisfactory results have been secured from such a laminated board composed of layers of paper board made from chestnut pulp. With such, a board of a thickness of .065 of an inch and with a kraft liner or surface layer has been found amply strong for bales of the kind referred to, and yet such that the osnaburg strips may be readily sewed thereto. The thickness may be varied as greater or less strength and rigidity is required. The layer of liner material provides a good surface which may be printed, stenciled or otherwise marked with the shipping manufacturers name, trade-mark, and other desired designating data or advertising. Also by limiting the extent of the board unit so that a sufficient portion of the baled material protrudes beyond the board, the baled material itself serves as its own shock absorber, so to speak, so that the large forces resulting when the bale is dumped out on its end from the press, or is otherwise dropped as during handling, will be so absorbed within the baled material that the disruptive forces exerted on the board are so minimized that rupture of the board will not occur. With bales of bolts of cloth this desired shock absorbing result is satisfactorily attained by leaving some two inches of protruding baled material; but more or less protruding material may be used according to the character of the bale, the baled material and the strength of the baling unit board. But by leaving the protruding ends to give this internal shock absorbing action the board portion is not injured at its edges nor is it caused to burst.

The protruding portions of the packaged material are protected by the aforementioned strips of burlap, osnaburg, or other suitable fabric, secured to the laminated sections, and the ends of the baled material are also protected by sheets of similar fabric which are sewed to the aforementioned fabric strips to thus completely enclose the ends of the baled'material.

The package shown and described herein, which is typical of a bale of cloth, is approxit mately 20" x 36" x 40" and weighs in the neighborhood of 600 pounds; the large disruptive forces caused by dropping the bale on end being thus understood. Such a package, made as herein set forth, has been found to be successful and satisfactory in actual commercial practice.

As shown in the drawing each wrapper is formed of two main units each composed of a central portion of the laminated paper board ID, of such size that it will encompass slightly more than half the bale and in the other dimension will be sufficiently short of the length of the compressed material to give enough protruding thereof to provide the shock absorbing ends, a wrapper unit being illustrated in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, such a unit is creased for easy folding along two parallel lines l3, so spaced that the distance between them corresponds to the final width of the compressed material, bolts of cloth as shown. It is preferable, especially with large units to put a reverse crease l3 outwardly of one of the creases l3, so that in the bale press the end of the unit, on the press loading side, will bend down out of the way of the operator and thus permit more ready placing of the bolts to be baled in the press. For simplicity in manufacturing, such reverse creases may be placed outwardly of each crease I3 thus making it unnecessary to arrange the units in a special way in the press, Along the edges of the wrapper unit which are perpendicular to these creases and which correspond to the ends of the bale are secured the strips of suitable fabric ll. With a bale of the dimensions and such as described satisfactory results have been secured with strips approximately 3 to 6 inches in width. Such fabric is secured to the board units, as by sewing, the stitches being indicated at I 2, and with a suitable width of the fabric, which may be the osnaburg referred to, extending beyond the edge to permit of ready and easy attachment thereto of the end covers, as by hand sewing. It has been found that with fabric strips approximately 3 inches Wide and sewed by stitches approximately inch inward from the end of the board portion and about the same distance from the inside edge of the fabric, sufficient strength and endurance factors are provided so that the strips and stitches will not pull loose or tear out under the large forces exerted during completion, handling and shipping of the bale. If added strength is desired double stitching of the fabric strips may be used, and the strips may be considerably wider with consequent smaller end covering portions. Also the appearance and strength may be enhanced if the strips are sewed while flat on the outside face of the board and then turned over to provide the free edge for sewing to the end covering.

In the method of baling, as herein shown, one of the units is placed upon the bed of the baling press as in Fig. 3, the material to be packaged, I9, is placed on top thereof, and a second unit is then placed on top of the material. Pressure is applied by the platen of the press in the usual manner, and the mechanism of the press is not necessary to be illustrated. When suitable compression is attained, the edges I1 and I8 of the wrapper are folded toward each other along the creases I3, one edge, as I1, being made to overlap theother edge, I8. The bale ties I4 (Fig. 4) are then put in place and secured in some usual manner illustrated diagrammatically as a crimping clamp.

The bale is then immediately removed from the press, thereby freeing the press for the next bale and so permitting extremely rapid sequential operations of the press. In so doing the partly completed bale is dropped to the floor, ordinarily a distance of some two feet, landing on one carner. But since the board wrapper units stop short of the ends of the bale by a suflicient distance, the shock of this fall is absorbed by the baled material without bursting the body portion of the wrapper and without the edges coming into contact with the floor or sufficiently close thereto to split or otherwise damage or destroy the edge portions, or weaken them so that they cannot withstand subsequent handling in shipping, etc.

The end coverings can now be applied to the bale after it is removed from the press, as shown in Fig. 5 wherein one end cover I5 is shown sewed in place and the bale ready to be turned up on such covered end, as with the aid of a block of wood as shown in Fig. 6, to permit sewing the other end cover on. Sheets of osnaburg are-suitable fabric for the end coverings l5 and serve as a satisfactory substitute for the burlap which would probably be used ordinarily if there were no shortage. The end covers are of such size as to completely cover the end of the bale and to be sewed with a suitable baling needle to the fabric strips II, as the bale stands upon one end on the floor, the joining by sewing being illustrated by the connecting stitches Hi. When one end is secured, the bale is turned over end for end and the other end covering applied. Fig. 1 shows the completed bale with the end coverings IS in place. The cut-away portion shows the fabric strips ll attached to the paper board l0 and also the telescoping eifect of the two halves of the wrapper as edge ll overlaps edge I 8.

The bale wrapper unit above described has the extraordinary utility above referred to. Also under present conditions it is particularly useful in that it permits of forming the major portion of the bale wrapper out of suitable paper board, such as the laminated chestnut board with kraft liner referred to, and with only a small portion of cloth such as osnaburg or burlap used for covering the end of the bale. Therefore, in addition to its advantageous characteristics, under present conditions it permits of providing a bale of such material which has been found more satisfactory in use than the burlap bales heretofore generally used in the industry. And burlap, being made of a material imported entirely from without the United States, is a very scarce material and practically unavailable under present war conditions. Furthermore, because of the construction of the wrapper which permits of partly completing the baling within the press and then immediately dumping the bale out so that the end covers can be sewed on without tying up the productive capacity of the press, a greater output of bales from a given press can be secured than with the type of baling heretofore used. And in addition by providing a wrapper unit which terminates a sufiicient distance from the end of the bale, to permit the bale to become its own shock absorber, a comparatively thin layer of paper board, as described, can be used which will be completely adequate for enclosing and protecting the baled material, which Will be much superior to burlap in preventing stencilling inks, oils, greases, etc., from readily penetrating into the material which is baled-an important factor in bales of textiles and bolts of cloth.

While the method and articles herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise method and articles, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In the baling of textile materials, and the like, the method which comprises placin the textile material to be baled between wrapper units comprising essentially a major body portion of paper board and a minor edge portion of fabric with the textile material to be baled extending at each end a substantial and shock absorbing distance beyond the edge of the paper board portion, compressing the material to be baled between the wrapper units, folding the edges of the wrapper units into overlapping relation, applying bale ties while the pressure is maintained, removing the partly completed bale from the pressure zone and affixing end covers by attaching said end covers to said fabric portions.

2. As an article of manufacture, a bale of textile material, or the like, comprising a compressed stack of textile material between wrapper units held about said compressed stack by bale ties surrounding the wrapper units and holding the edges thereof in overlapping relation, said wrapper units comprising a major body portion ofpaper board of extent limited to stop short of the ends of the baled material to leave a portion of the compressed baled material protruding beyond each end of said paper board portion of the wrapper unit by a substantial and shock absorbing distance, strips of fabric connected to said paper board portions for attachment to end covers, and fabric end covers for the bale having sewed connection with said attaching fabric strips.

3. A an article of manufacture, a bale comprising a compressed stack of fibrous material between wrapper units held about said compressed stack by bale ties surrounding the wrapper units and holding the edges thereof in overlapping relation, said wrapper units comprising a major body portion of paper board of extent limited to stop short of the ends of the baled material to leave a portion of the compressed baled material protruding beyond each end of said paper board portion of the wrapper unit by a substanial and shock absorbing distance, strips of fabric connected to said paper board portions for attachment to end covers, and fabric end covers for the bale having sewed connection with said attaching fabric strips.

4. As an article of manufacture, a bale of textile material, or the like, comprising a compressed stack of textile material between wrapper units held about said compressed stack by bale ties surroundin the wrapper units andholding the edges thereof in overlapping relation, said wrapper units comprising a major body portion of paper board of extent limited to stop short of the ends of the baled material to leave a portion of the compressed baled material protruding beyond each end of said paper board portion of the wrapper unit by a substantial and shock absorbing distance, strips of fabric sewed to said wrapper units inwardly of each end thereof, and end coverings for the bale affixed to said fabric strips to leave a fabric covered shock absorbing portion of the bale covered by said fabric.

5. As an article of manufacture a bale comprising compressible material compressed within a Wrapper unit held about said compressed material by bale ties, said. wrapper unit comprising a major body portion of paper board of extent limitedto stop short of theendsof the baled mate'- rial to leave a portion of the compressed baled material protruding beyond each end of said compressed paper board portion by a substantial and shock absorbing distance, a fabric portion connected to each of the respective ends of said body portion of paper board, and means at each end of the bale interconnecting the fabric portion at each end of the bale to cover-the ends of the bale and to provide fabric portions covering said shock absorbing portions of the bale.

6. As an article of manufacture, a bale of textile material, or the like, comprising a compressed stack of textile material between wrapper units held about said compressed stack by bale ties surrounding the wrapper units and holding the edges thereof in overlapping relation, said wrapper units comprising a body portion of paperboard of extent limited to stop short of the ends of the baled material to leave a portion of the compressed baled material protruding beyond each end of said paper board portion of the wrapper unit by a substantial and shock absorbing distance, trips of fabric connected to said paper board portions for attachment to end covers, and end covers for said bale havin fabric portions connected to said strips.

7. In the baling of textile materials, and the like, the method which comprises placing the textile material to be baled between wrapper units comprising essentially a major body portion of paper board and a minor edge portion'of fabric with the textile material to be baled extending ateach end a substantial and shock absorbing distance beyond the edge of the paper board portion, said paper board being creased perpendicular to the end edges and along lines corresponding to edges of the completed bale, compressing the material to be baled between the wrapper units, folding the edges of the wrapper units along parallel edges of the bale into overlapping relation, applying bale ties while the pressure is maintained and removing the partly completed bale from the pressure zone and aflixing end covers by attaching said end covers to said fabric portions, said fabric portions being of extent alon the bale to cover said shock absorbing distance thereof.

8. As an article of manufacture, a bale of textile material, or the like, comprising a compressed stack of textile material between wrapper units held about said compressed stack by bale ties surrounding the wrapper units and holding the edges thereof in overlapping relation, said wrapper units consisting of a major body portion of paper board of extent limited to stop short of the ends of the baled material to leave a paper board-free portion of the compressed baled material protruding beyond each end of said paper board portion of the wrapper unit by a substantial and shock absorbing distance, fabric means for enclosing the ends of said bale, and means for interconnecting said fabric means at each end of the bale with said paper board body portion.

9. A bale cover enclosing a bale of compressed material such as textiles, bolts of cloth, and the like, comprising a major body portion of paper board of extent limited in length to stop short of the ends of the baled material to leave a portion of the compressed baled material protruding beyond each end of said paper board portion by a substantial and shock absorbing distance, a fabric portion connected to each of the respective ends of said body portion of paper board, and means 8 at each end of the bale interconnecting the fabric portion at each end of the bale to cover the ends of the bale and to provide fabric portions covering said shock absorbing portions of the bale.

10. A bale cover enclosing a bale of compressed material such as textiles, bolts of cloth, and the like, comprising a major body portion of paper board of extent in one dimension limited to stop short of the ends of the baled material to leave a portion of the compressed baled material protruding beyond each end of said paper board portion by a substantial and shock absorbing distance and in the other dimension of extent sufiicient to cover more than half the completed bale, a fabric portion connected to each of the respective ends of said body portion of paper board, and means at each end of the bale interconnecting the fabric portion at each end of the bale to cover the ends of the bale and to provide fabric portions'covering said shock absorbing portions of the bale.

11. A bale cover enclosing a baleof compressed material such as textiles, bolts of cloth, and the like, comprising a major body portion of paper board of extent limited in length to stop short of the ends of the baled material to leave a portion of the compressed baled material protruding beyond each end of said paper board portion by a substantial and shock absorbing distance, said paper board portion being creased perpendicular to the end edges and along lines spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the finished bale, a fabric portion connected to each of the respective ends of said body portion of paper board, and means at each end of the bale interconnecting the fabric portion at each end of thebale to cover the ends of the bale and to provide fabric portions covering said shock absorbing portions of the bale.

12. A bale cover enclosing a bale of compressed material such as textiles, bolts of cloth, and the like, comprising a major body portion of paper board of extent limited in length to stop short of the ends of the baled material to leave a portion of the compressed baled material protruding beyond each end of said paper board portion by a substantial and shock absorbing distance, said paper board portion being creased perpendicular to the end edges and along lines spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the finished bale, a reverse crease parallel to one of said creases being provided whereby a portion of the unit will fold out of the way of the operator when'in the baling press, a fabric portion connected to each of the respective ends of said body portion of paper board, and means at each end of the bale interconnecting the fabric portion at each end of the bale to cover the ends of the bale and to provide fabric portions covering said shock absorbing portions of the bale.

13. In the baling of compressible fibrous material, the method which comprises placing the material to be baled between wrapper units each comprising essentially a major body portion of paper board which is of such thickness as to be strong and comparatively rigid and each wrapper unit comprising a minor edge portion of fabric, said major body portion being of limited length coordinated with the length of the completed bale tostop short of the ends of the compressed baled material to leave a protruding portion thereof extending a substantial and shock absorbing distance beyond each end of said paper board portion and being of a predetermined extent from edgeto edge of each said paper board portion sufficient to extend around the compressed bale to encompass more than half the body thereof, compressing the material to be baled between the Wrapper units, folding the edges of the wrapper units into overlapping relation, applying bale ties while the pressure is maintained, and aifixing end covers by attaching said end covers to said fabric portions to cover said shock absorbing distance of said bale.

GEORGE R. BROWNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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